The Year Everything Changed
by lilperuvybabi
Summary: A year of change for romance, new friendships
1. Author Notice Very Important

**Chapter Notice::**

_This is an important notice for the whole story itself. I know I have written this before, and a different site, but I felt it better to switch. It was nothing against the site, but my server didn't work best with it. So if you have read this fanfic before, don't worry, it's not me actually copying..since it is my work. I'm trying to be my own beta reader. Hopefully I'll be able to actually finish this story, unlike how it was before. Then I'll be working on a new fanfic. I know many others loved this fanfic were I had posted it earlier. Hopefully here, at fanficition I am able to finish it. All help with grammar is welcomed. Criticism would be extremely helpful. Please no flaming, if you have to say something pointless and stupid, as you're an idiot, and your story sucks. What's the point of actually reviewing? Yeah, you don't like it. Instead of being ignorant tell me why. Maybe I can help you somehow to understand it, or maybe I can't. Either way, I'd rather have that kind of review then a flame._

**-LilPeruvyBabi**


	2. A Rose in Hogwarts

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter series.

**Chapter 1: A Rose in Hogwarts**

"7th year! I can't believe it's finally here..." James Potter exclaimed, walking into the Gryffindor common room.

James Potter was a tall, skinny boy, with untidy black hair, and hazel eyes. He was never seen without his best friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and on occasion, Peter Pettigrew. Sirius was tall, with grey eyes, and black silky hair. Remus was on the tall side, with light, sandy brown hair, blue eyes, and a killer smile. All the girls dreamed to be with any one of the Marauders except for the oddball...Peter Pettigrew. Peter; he was short, plump, and with beady, watery eyes. He scared easily, and stammered when he became scared, which was a good piece of the time.

James, Sirius, and at times Remus were known for playing pranks. Mostly everyone at their school was experienced with their pranks. They didn't do simple pranks; no....that would be too easy for the Marauders. They were brutal when they played pranks, very brutal indeed. James was especially brutal to Lily Evans, while the rest of them were brutal towards Severus Snape. Lily Evans was another Gryffindor 7th year, and both Lily and James couldn't stand each other.. It was very ironic that they were both Head Girl, and Head Boy.

They'd hated each other since their first year at Hogwarts. All because, James had played a simple, as he stated, prank on her. If you call blowing a plate of mashed potatoes, and peas, up in her face, simple. Although James was deeply in love with Lily, he wouldn't allow himself to admit anything of the sort. They didn't stop there, no one expected they would. One prank, led to another, and another, and so on. Of course, Lily never did any of the pranks, she never even retaliated, but somehow she involved.

Lily was petite, had Fairburn hair, and piercing green eyes. She was extremely pretty, and was rarely seen without her best friend, Melodie. Melodie was athletic; played beater on the Qudditch team, loved the Marauders practical jokes, and could get along with James. Lily could get along with Remus and sometimes Sirius, but it was another story for James. Melodie was tall, lean, with brown wavy hair, and shimmering blue eyes. Lily was quiet, yet Melodie was loud. You wouldn't imagine such a different pair being best friends, but no one spoke their thoughts.

"Going to have to make this a memorable one..." Sirius replied to James.

"Heh, a nice trick on Snape would be good to start..." Remus added, grinning slyly.

Severus Snape was evil, and cunning; nothing short of what you'd expect a Slytherin to be...

"Don't even mention him" Melodie said, coming over and crashing in a chair.

"Why?" James questioned.

"He's evil, and cunning, and-" Melodie started.

"And has an abnormally large nose and greasy hair..." Sirius finished.

Mel laughed, while Lily came over and joined them.

"If it isn't Evans! Oh joy!" James exclaimed sarcastically.

"And if it isn't Potter!" Lily replied. Melodie rolled her eyes.

"Man, can't you guys come up with a nicer way to greet one another?" She asked, sighing.

"No" Lily and James said together.

It caused them to laugh...to some extent. It was an awkward moment until Melodie broke the silence.

"Hey, did you guys hear about the attacks on those muggles?" She asked the group.

"Yeah, ol' Voldy is back and running" Sirius said.

Lily shivered. Lord Voldemort was their most recent evil wizard. He hated Muggles, and that was usually who he carried his attacks out on... Lily was worried for sometime now...because she was Muggleborn... Remus seemed to sense that she was worried.

"Lil, you're a witch now, he's not going to touch you . . . or your family. Besides, he won't come to Hogwarts, everyone knows Dumbledore is the only Wizard who he fears...." He told her.

She smiled with a struggle, and nodded.

"You're right" She said.

The rest of the evening passed uneventful, unless you count the Marauders turning Peter into a frog with pink dots with a new transfiguration spell they learned over the summer.

Melodie and Lily lay awake in the girls dorm, talking late into the night.

"I really don't like James" Lily said, after Melodie rambled on about him and the others for ages.

"I don't understand why you don't. He's so sweet, and caring. He's a prankster, and he's Captain of the Qudditch Team! Not to mention gorgeous...every girl in school lines up for him!!" Melodie exclaimed, causing Cheyalla, a fellow Gryffindor, to stir.

"Well yeah, but he just doesn't do that for me, I don't see James Potter has...that" Lily told Melodie.

"Alright Lily, whatever you say. Goodnight!" Melodie whispered.

"Night" Lily whispered back.

With that Melodie drifted off to sleep...but Lily lay awake thinking to herself..._I don't like him. I hate James Potter. I always have, and I always will. _Lily thought, finalizing any doubt she had...

The next morning, they were gathered in the great hall for breakfast.

"Transfiguration, Double Divination, and then lunch. I think I can stand that..." Melodie read aloud.

"Yeah...." Lily said examining her own Timetable.

Just then a Brown Barn Owl flew down and landed in front of Lily's cereal bowl. Lily, too indulged in her timetable, didn't notice.

"Lil...! There's an owl here for you..." Melodie prodded her, and said.

"Oh! Okay" Lily said while folding the timetable.

"What the . . . " Lily muttered.

"What's wrong?" Melodie asked.

"This isn't my owl from home, and you know that's the only place I get mail from... " Lily said taking the owls package, and staring after it as it flew away.

"Oh well, open it!" Melodie said over excited.

Lily picked the parcel up gently. Whatever was in the parcel, seemed to be long...as the light pink paper was wound down it . . . Slowly, she carefully took the paper off and gasped in shock. An elegant pink rose fell into her lap; it seemed to be crystal-glazed, shimmering forever more.

"Aw, that's awesome" Melodie commented, breaking into Lily's submerged thoughts.

"Who sent it?" She questioned, as Lily turned the thorn less rose over in her hands.

"Ummm . . . " Lily muttered reaching in for the card, which was the same shade pink as the rose.

She cleared her throat and read it aloud to Melodie.

"'Lily Evans. All is not what it appears to be. This rose, so gentle, and innocent looking lies among these. All is no what it appears to be, indeed'" Lily read to Melodie.

She looked puzzled, as Lily did.

"It doesn't say whom it's from?" Melodie asked.

"No..." Lily replied, frowning slightly, feeling confused.

"Odd . . . it's not your birthday, is it?" Melodie asked.

"Mel, if it was, you'd know" Lily told her.

"Well . . . is it any special occasion??" She asked again.

"No . . . nothing..." Lily said.

"Hmm..." Melodie seemed to be thinking.

"It's gorgeous...I've never seen a shade of pink like that before..." Melodie said, abandoning her thoughts.

"I know..." Lily agreed.

"You know what?" James voice said, as the three joined the table.

"Look what Lily got!" Melodie exclaimed.

"Mel..." Lily warned.

"A rose" Sirius observed.

"Very good Sirius!" Remus joked.

"Haha....Ha..." Sirius replied.

"A pink rose!" James said as if it was the biggest discovery.

"You guys are a riot" Remus said to them sarcastically.

"You are too" James said patting him on the shoulder.

"It doesn't say who sent it. None of you did, did you?" Melodie said to them.

Remus and Sirius shook their heads, but James had to comment something to it.

"Of course I didn't send it. It doesn't even have thorns! If I had sent it, I would've made sure it had thorns...Make Lily imperfect, for a few seconds...." James sneered.

Melodie glared him down. Lily was too curious about the rose to care.

"Curious..." She spoke her thoughts.

"Was there a card?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah!" Melodie said whipping the card from Lily's clutch.

"It says!" Melodie began to announce. "'Lily Evans. All is not what it appears to be. This rose, so gentle, and innocent looking, lies among these. All is no what it appears to be, indeed'" She finished.

"Hmm" Sirius shrugged turning to his scrambled eggs.

"Hmm" Remus mocked his tone.

They then began fighting over the plate of scrambled eggs. But James was staring at the rose, unblinkingly. Finally, he seemed to come back to reality, but only with a sharp remark.

"I don't like it" He said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Don't Like what?" Lily questioned.

"That rose" He said.

"Why?" Lily said, puzzled.

"There's something about it...." James began. "That makes me uneasy..." He finished biting into the toast.

"Nah, it's just you" Lily replied sarcastically.

James shrugged his mouth too full to speak. But in her mind, Lily felt the same way as James. As she turned the rose over, and over again in her hands she thought..... James is right, though I hate to admit it, there's something about this flower the gives me a feeling of unease.... As usual, her thoughts were interrupted by Melodie.

"Class time!" She said brightly, tugging Lily's sleeve.

"Coming" Lily said gathering her things up, still holding the rose, and the note, tightly to her. They learned about...the theory behind human transformation...Lily, for once, wasn't really paying attention. James kept cracking jokes, making Remus and Sirius laugh heartedly, and Professor McGonagall to deduct points...Just the usual. Lily was still thinking about the rose...there was just something about it.

"I'm going to Professor Dumbledore" Lily said slamming her books, a tad too hard, down on the table in Divination.

Melodie held the table steady after it shook. "Why?" She asked, seeming confused.

"This rose!" Lily exclaimed waving it around carelessly.

"Careful!" Melodie said.

"Why? I don't think I like it either" Lily said.

"Why? You're not actually going to listen to James! You hate him...or so I thought..." Melodie said, grinning evilly.

"You're as bad as the boys" Lily said rolling her eyes.

Melodie shined with pride.

"No. Seriously, why?" She asked again.

"It gives me the creeps...just the way that it's...it's so...so...perfect..." Lily told her.

"It's just the idea that James has planted into your head!" Melodie insisted.

"Besides it'll die in like a week or less, and then it'll be out of your way!" Melodie said.

"But what if it's Magical?! Then it won't die, will it?" Lily said accusingly.

"Umm! Well you're going to Dumbledore, supposedly, ask him!" Melodie defended.

After the uneventful lessons of Divination were over, Lily quickly left the classroom, ditching Melodie to Remus. Man, there's something going on. Lily thought, as Mel gushed and giggled with him. Lily was headed straight for Dumbledore's office. She had been here many times before. She had been there almost as many times as the Marauders had. It seemed that every time they played a prank on Lily, they somehow managed to get her dragged into trouble as well. Lily shook her head and concentrated on remembering the password.

"Umm, buttered potatoes?" Lily guessed nervously.

"Flying Flies" She said to the statue.

"Bewitching Wands? Oh come on! I'm not here for a bad reason" Lily said, finding herself grabbing onto the statue, trying to pry it open.

"Practicing pinning down the Marauders?" Said an old voice from behind her.

She immediately let go of the statue, and spun around. "Professor Dumbledore, sir!" She exclaimed nervously.

"Yes, Miss Evans..." He said intriguingly.

"I was just looking for you!" She told him briskly.

"Ah, it was me you were looking for? I thought you seemed rather attached to my statue..." The old wizard said, placing a hand on the statue.

Lily laughed nervously. "Impatient, I guess. Anyways, I was here to see you about something I received...." She inputted.

"Indeed, follow me then" Dumbledore said, nodding.

He said the password and they entered the passage to his office. When arriving Lily sat in a chair across from his desk, and Dumbledore stood.

"So?" He questioned.

"Oh! Well this morning, when I received post, I received something...well something without a name. I don't know who could've sent it, I mean..." Lily continued rambling on about not knowing until Dumbledore held a hand up to stop her.

"What, may I ask, did you receive?" He asked her.

"Oh! Well-" She then reached into her bag, and carefully pulled out the 'thorn less rose'. "This." She finished, brandishing the rose. Dumbledore seemed to be interested.

"It has, been a while, since I had seen a rose, of such a shade...and they're very uncommon in the Wizarding world. Perhaps...this is magical..." He said, pulling his wand out from his robes. He seemed to be doing a number of spells, and then he looked dumbfounded.

"Is something the matter?" Lily questioned nervously.

"It's not magical, it seems...it seems to be...just an ordinary rose" Dumbledore told her, peering over his spectacles.

"Oh" Lily said.

"Was there a note?" Dumbledore asked her, peering down again at the rose.

"Oh yeah" Lily said, giving him the small piece of parchment.

He read over the words, mouthing them as he went.

"Ahhhh...these words..." Dumbledore began.

"I came to see you about it, because this...this rose gave me a funny feeling...James too..." She added. Dumbledore appeared startled.

"You are actually listening to the opinion of James Potter? This is a miracle..." He muttered, smiling.

Lily smiled back. Even the headmaster could crack jokes she thought.

"Lily, I see nothing at all wrong with it. It's a real rose, and these words...are just...to confuse you, so you don't know who sent it...But...it's not right...." Dumbledore said, for once, unsure of his own self.

"I know..." Lily replied.

"I'll run it by a few more...well I'll...send it to Professor McGonagall and Flitwick...see if they can spot a hex on either thing...Yes, go on to lunch, and...you'll be informed..." Dumbledore told her slowly.

Lily nodded, feeling almost relieved to be away from the perfect presence of the rose.

The next day around the end of class, Lily felt rather...different. She didn't know what it was, but it wasn't right. Maybe I actually did like the rose. Lily thought to herself and then the bell rang. While entering the Great Hall, those thoughts still stammered in her head. She made the feeling go away and she hurried to lunch. She found everyone where they usually were seated.

"We don't want any" James said, though a mouthful of pork.

"Oh well, just for today" Lily replied, surprised at herself for being nice to James, she didn't even have it in her to be hateful to him. This also seemed to surprise James, as he choked on his pork.

"Something the matter?" Sirius asked, as James choked, like it was nothing at all. James then spat the chewed pork out, and glared at Sirius.

"No, nothing" He replied thickly.

"Okay! Just checking!" Remus answered for Sirius, quickly going back to his potatoes.

Lily noticed that he was staring at Melodie as she laughed with a fellow Gryffindor.

"You like her, don't you?" Lily asked him, not really knowing what come over her.

Melodie, not knowing, what her, she was talking about, didn't take notice of this conversation.

"Who?" Remus snapped, surprised.

"Her" Lily said nodding her head in the direction of Melodie, while helping herself to some potatoes.

"NO! I don't know. And if I did, umm well it wouldn't matter" Remus replied looking down at his plate.

"Okay, okay. Just wondering" Lily said lightly, picking her goblet up and taking a sip.

"What's come over you?" Remus asked, all of a sudden.

"Hmm?" Lily said.

"In the 6 years I've known you, you never have come out and said something like that, right in front of the person....And you're acting all...not Lilyish...." Remus explained, looking repulsed at whatever was up with Lily.

Lily laughed, a real laugh, a friendly laugh. But Remus looked horrified.

"I'm not feeling...Lilyish...today, Moony" Lily told him, shoveling potatoes into her mouth.

"Moony?" James and Remus said at the same time, apparently James wasn't totally hooked on food.

"That is his nickname right?" Talking with food in her mouth, totally not something Lily would do.

"Our nickname, for him" Sirius said joining the conversation, butter smeared on his forehead.

"Oh well! I thought I'd try something new!" Lily said reaching over to Sirius' forehead and wiping the butter off with her finger.

Not only was this surprising, as one would expect her to leave it there and make a mock of it, but she also licked it off her finger. She then gathered her books and said she was off to the Common Room.

"C-ya!" She said, planting a kiss on Remus' cheek, who was sitting next to her.

"Bye" Remus and Sirius said, in a bemused sort of way.

"What about me..." James said sulkily.

"Awww" Remus and Sirius chorused, causing James to hit the two of them over their heads.

They grinned evilly, like it hadn't bothered them, which it probably hadn't, as the satisfaction of annoying James to that extent was enough to wipe pain away. Lily's strange behavior kept up all that night, and into the next day. James was almost annoyed at the thought she wasn't being mean to him when he tried to pull a prank. Three days after start of term, the weekend came. Sirius, Remus, and James, as usual, spent the day planning what to do to people that year, they also snuck out to Hogsmeade. The rest of the day was uneventful, except for when they came back from Hogsmeade.... After everyone had gone to bed, James sat up making a chart of when Quidditch Practices would start. Lily sat in a chair across from him reading a book. James kept following her gaze; she kept looking up from her book at him.

"Stop it!" James said, standing up and putting his charts away.

"Stop what?" Lily said, standing up as well.

"Making me scared" James replied.

"Haha. Why are you scared?" Lily asked, moving closer to James, her hand outstretched.

"Why shouldn't I be?" James said, staying frozen to the spot.

Lily didn't reply, she just stepped closer to him, smiling a way that the normal Lily didn't smile. James followed the direction of her hand.

"Are you going to like hit me, for putting that acid stuff in your hair in Potions?" James asked nervously, although he was very much built, and 17 years old, he knew what Lily was capable of.

"No..." Lily told him, placing a hand on his chest.

"Um...this isn't right, Lil..." James said to her, his voice cracking.

"Why ever not?" Lily whispered.

James leant close to her.

"Because we hate each other" James whispered to her.

Lily just smiled that new, twisted smile.

Whoa, she's making the moves on me. James thought, staring into Lily's emerald eyes.

Before he knew what had happened, Lily had pushed him on the sofa.

"Whoa" James muttered, struggling to sit up.

Lily sat next to him, running her hands up and down his chest.

"Stop it" James told her.

"Why?" She whispered.

"Because" James whispered, weakening.

Lily smiled, making James' heart come to his throat, even thought he knew, that he hated Lily, but for some reason, not this Lily.

"Come here" Lily said indicating with her finger for him to come closer.

Although, surprised at his actions, he pulled closer to her. She stared into his eyes, making him wonder what she was going to do. She leant in to him, and kissed him. Lightly at first, but James deepened it. His hands sat frozen at his side, but Lily's were roaming all over James. Lily pulled away from the kiss, taking James' hand and placing it on her cheek.

"Why are you doing this?" James asked quietly.

"Because...I don't hate you..." Lily replied.

Lily removed her hand from James', but James kept it on her cheek, feeling the warmth that was spreading to his fingertips. He stared into her eyes for a few more moments, and saw what he had been looking for. There was something in her eyes that was never there before. A glint of red perhaps...the sign he had expected...There was a sure trace of evil in the girls eyes...that Lily had not possessed when he looked into those eyes before...when he looked into those eyes to annoy the hell out of her...not kiss her.

Lily's fingertips were lingering on James' chest.

"Stop fighting it, James..." Lily whispered.

Taking her hand a placing it on his cheek. James wanted this to happen...but not with Lily...not with this Lily...not with what he thought to be the evil Lily.

"I'm going to tell you one more time...Stop it!" James said to her, taking her hand off his cheek, and looking one more time into her green eyes...with unmistakable coldness...before walking away.

Lily didn't look hurt, she sat there, grinning slyly, looking evil. She continued to sit there, and moments after James disappeared up the staircase to the boys dorm, he quietly crept back to peer down the staircase, she again had picked up her book...and was reading...sitting in the same spot...Very unusual...for Lily...to stay up...after everyone else went to bed. James tore off into the dorm, he woke Remus and Sirius, the only other person in the room, being Peter, James talked loudly, not caring if he woke him.

"Shaddup!" Sirius said sitting up abruptly, after James had started yelling in his ear.

"I'm going to kill you! You're ruining my beauty sleep!" Remus bellowed, before turning a bright shade of red.

"Guys, this is important! Official...Um...Marauder business!" James told them quickly.  
This didn't brighten their faces anymore.

"Peter, out" James said giving him a blanket and opening the door.

He was barely awake and headed in the direction of the Girls dorm.

"That was stupid" Sirius commented.

"He'll end up at the end of some poor girls' bed..." Remus agreed. "Some poor...hot girls' bed...which I should be in..." He added as an after thought.

"It's your turn to shut up" James snapped at the two.

"Me-ow" Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Sirius, be serious!!" James yelled.

Sirius and Remus stared at him straight faced; they exchanged glances and burst out laughing at James' stupid remark. James sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands to let them have a good laugh. Finally they stopped laughing, and just giggled scatter fully.

"Finished?" James asked sarcastically.

His two friends exchanged glances and burst out laughing again.

"Okay done!" Sirius said cheerfully.

"Yup!" Remus agreed.

"You know how Lily has been acting, really odd, lately??" James questioned.

"Uh Huh, she's acting like most of the girls I date...an air head...only...she's...smart...and...stuff" Sirius said.

"Oh that made sense" Remus told him.

"Well at least I tried" Sirius said sulkily.

"Okay! Shut it!" James yelled.

"Yeah I know what you mean...she's been acting all...bitchish...differentish..." Remus said.

"What is it with you and the _ish_ man?" Sirius asked.

Remus shrugged.

"Gay" Sirius said bluntly.

"Ha" Remus said sarcastically.

"Anyway...what about Lily?" Sirius questioned, ignoring Remus.

"Well, when I was down in the Common Room, working on my Qudditch stuff, she was still up too, reading." James began; they didn't look too hooked on the story.

"So, fine, I was okay with that" James continued, sounding much more like an 80-year old woman gossiping, then a 17 year old boy telling his friends something.

"But then she started looking up from her book...and-" James started to continue but was cut off by Sirius.

"Ooh! That's awful!" he said sarcastically.

"Shut up. And then I told her to stop it, because she was scaring me, and she just smiled at me. And then she put her hand on me. She like, pushed me down onto the sofa...I was like...whoa, someone's putting the moves on. Anyways she told me to come closer...and then she came closer...and then she kissed me...she was like...evil or something" James rambled on.

"Kissed you?" Remus said disbelievingly, ignoring the evil part.

"Pure and simple. Well...not really simple, but you know what I mea-.." James said.

"Lily Marie Evans...kissed you?" Sirius asked, choking down a laugh.

"Yes" James nodded.

"Seeing things, again?" Remus asked.

"No!" James exclaimed.

"Well we will just see about that..." Sirius said marching up to the door of the dorm and opening it. Peter was huddled in the doorway, sucking his thumb.

"Move out of it" Sirius said nudging him, and gesturing that it was okay to come back in.

He whimpered slightly, and ran back to his bed. Remus and James followed Sirius to the staircase. Each stuck their head out, looking easily odd. There sat Lily, the fire still a glow, the book still in her hand.

"Oh yeah...she looks evil" Sirius muttered peering down at Lily.

She was sitting in an armchair, now. Her legs curled up beneath her, smiling while reading over the words. The flames from the fire danced on her face, making her seem to be glowing.

"She's beautiful" James murmured.

"Yeah" Sirius nodded.

"Thought you hated her??" Remus asked, looking at James.

"Thought so, too" James whispered.

Remus and Sirius both rolled their eyes.

"Took you 10 bimbos, 5 brunettes, 11 blondes, and a whole bunch of air heads to realize that..." Sirius commented.

Remus and him exchanged glances, and they burst out laughing, as they always did lately. James rolled his eyes, as they caught Lily's attention. She smiled warmly, not moving from her spot in the armchair. The three boys walked slowly down the staircase, and around to where Lily was sitting.

"Hi Lily!" Sirius said brightly.

"Fancy meeting you here" Remus added.

"Hi guys..." Lily said sarcastically.

James looked into her eye...the evil...didn't seem to be there...

"James just told us a funny story, Lil" Remus said.

"And we'd like you to confirm it" Sirius added.

"Um...okay, shoot!" Lily said softly.

"James said you 'kissed' him...and made moves on him..." Sirius began.

"Is that true?" Remus finished.

"Ummm no..." Lily said disbelievingly.

"We hate each other....Remember, James?" Lily said, sweetly...the Lily way.

"She's not acting differentish...she's acting Lilyish.." Remus muttered to James and Sirius.

"Gay" Sirius quoted again.

"Ummm we didn't think it was true." Remus told her, punching Sirius hard.

"Yeah..." Sirius wheezed.

"Night!" The three said at the same time.

"Night..." Lily repeated, a small smile on her face, although a confused small smile.

"Why did you punch me?" Sirius asked.

"You keep calling me gay" Remus pouted.

"I always call you gay, duh" Sirius replied.

"Is it because my abs are better?" Remus questioned.

"Ah no."

"Firmer stomach?"

"Ah, no."

"More muscles."

"Ah, no."

"Then why?" Remus whined.

"Because...you're my friend." Sirius said at last. "And I really think he is gay" he added to James.

James wasn't listening though, because one minute...Lily was kissing him...the next...hating him...Had he really fantasized the kiss? Or was it her? Was she really turning bad without knowing it? The three came into the Dorm. Remus collapsed on Sirius' bed, not really thinking, and James collapsed on his own. Still dressed in his day clothes the unusual events of the passed 3 days flew through his mind...

"James" Remus was croaking. "Get it off of me" He begged.

James snapped out of it, and saw the transformed Sirius, the big bear-like dog, attacking Remus. James lunged at Sirius pulling him off of Remus.

"Phew" Remus said, as though friends often transformed into dogs and attacked other friends.

"Move, now" Sirius ordered.

"Umm, okay" Remus obeyed this time.

James had to laugh at the behaviors of his friends.

"Girlfriend, Sirius??" James found himself asking, out of the blue.

"Ummm huh?" Sirius questioned, confused.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Remus said, translating.

"Um...no..." Sirius replied, blushing.

"Oh..." Remus said.

"Why not? Who do you like?" James asked.

"I think your both gay" Sirius muttered before throwing in.

"You guys know who I like"

Remus and James exchanged glances in the dark.

"Yeah, but do you still like her?" James and Remus said in usion.

"Yeah" Sirius answered.

"Who did he like again?" Remus asked James in a curious way, as if Sirius wasn't in the room.

"Um...Lil and Mel's friend...what's-her-name..." James replied.

"Oh! Yeah...what's-her-name...er-...who?" Remus said.

Sirius rolled his eyes, while James cracked up.

"Her name is Julia Shaw!!" Sirius bellowed.

James and Remus snapped their fingers and said: "That's it"

"Oh yes"

"WHY?! Remus...who do you have it in for??" Sirius asked.

"Melodie" Remus replied promptly.

"...Do you still have it in for that dumb blonde in Ravenclaw, James??" Remus asked him.

"Nahh" James replied, feeling himself blush.

"Oh" Remus enquired.

"Who do you like?" Sirius asked.

"No one" James replied, not wanting to tell them the truth.

Remus and Sirius exchanged glances then nodded and agreed: "Lily" The two said in usion. James sighed.

"Listen to us! We've been here for 4 days and we're hitting on girls already!!" James exclaimed.

"Um...right...that's like...slow for us..." Sirius said.

"Extremely slow. I have a girlfriend in one day last year...." Remus agreed.

"Shaddup!" James called.

"Tsk, Tsk" Remus and Sirius said.

"Goodnight" All three of them said at the same time.

Boys seemed to be weird that way. James lay staring at the shadowy figure of Peter's bed, through his hangings. All of a sudden he had an idea. He jumped out of bed and high-tailed it back to the Common Room.

"Where do you think he's going?" Remus asked sitting up.

"Does it matter?" Sirius retorted.

"Okay, I'll give him 5 minutes...he doesn't come back...we do the usual..." Remus replied.

"...tell everyone we don't know which girls' bed he'd be in this time..." Sirius finished.

"Gotcha" Remus said staring up at this canvas.

Lily's still there! James thought to himself. He hurried down the stairs, and breathlessly ran up to Lily.

"Hey, Lil" James said, through sharp breaths.

"What're you doing up, again?" Lily asked, surprised.

"Ummm I needed to ask you a question..." James said, quickly looking into her eyes. He saw nothing that could tell her that she was evil at that moment. He was safe...for now.

"What's your book called?" He asked before he found himself too indulged in the depths of her emerald eyes.

"Blood and Family" Lily replied, flipping the cover over to show him.

"What's it about?" James asked quickly.

"Its poetry...see?" She said, hanging him the book, with a page open.

"Okay!" James replied. "I was just wondering."

"Alright then." Lily replied, sounding worried, like on would, but casual.

"Night." James said softly.

"Goodnight, James. Take it easy, you conceited ass." She said smiling.

That's our Lily. James thought smiling, and walking back to the staircase.

_What is up with him? Is he like...crushing on me? I'd hope not. I mean we've hated each other for so long, I think it'd be impossible. But then again, what am I thinking...it is James Potter.... Lily thought to herself, with her pointer finger and her thumb cradling the side of her face, the two fingers made a slight 'L' the way they were positioned. Haha! My name's Lily, and I made an 'L!'. Lily exclaimed to herself, before turning the corner of the page she was reading over and setting it down on a nearby stand. _She then stood up and left, the fire, which was lit for light only as it was September, slowly extinguishing as she walked away. James collapsed again on his bed.

"He came back" Remus whispered.

"Shitty luck" Sirius replied.

James laughed silently at this.

He had wished that the book Lily was reading had something to do with her evilness. That if he could prove that she was reading a Dark Magic book, they'd believe she was going bad...but she was back to normal...for how long...James wondered...As he drifted off to sleep, and silence pressed upon him...two words floated across his mine... The rose...James slept restlessly that night, he had a dream....

_"Lily! It's the rose! I know it is! You were right; there is something wrong about it. It's changing you. You have to get it back from Dumbledore, and destroy it...before it destroys you!!" James was yelling in his dream. "I'm sorry James" Said a soft voice. An angel Lily...floating towards him...smiling sweetly...like nothing happened..."Lily" James croaked. James was standing in the middle of a deserted wood. There was a little clearing in the forest...and bright sunlight poured in...James reached for Lily...and took her hand...he held it in his..."I'm so sorry I let it get you" James heard himself say. "I'm so sorry" He repeated, tears, flowing down his face, in the dream. "Shhhhh" Lily soothed. "The rose, already destroyed me, but it won't destroy you, not if you fight the Darkness within it..." Lily whispered. Wiping James' tears away. "I won't let it destroy me, I'll fight it" James promised. "James...I won't let it destroy you, either..." She whispered placing her other hand on his face. She leant in and kissed his eyes, kissing away his tears. She was so beautiful. So gentle...yet so fragile. James was afraid to lose her...Even though; for so many years...they hated one another...He was too afraid to lose her. "Shhhhhh" She repeated smiling still. "I'm so sorry"...Lily then began to float away. Smiling, James knew she was going to somewhere else...somewhere she'd get the treatment she deserved..."I'm sorry. So sorry"... _

"I'm sorry! So sorry! Please don't leave me! I'm sorry I let it get you! I'm sorr-" James was screaming the words to his dreams out loud.

"James!"

"Chill" Remus and Sirius could be heard above James, he opened his eyes.

"Wh-what happened?" He asked groggily.

"You were screaming in your sleep saying 'I'm sorry'" Remus informed.

"Go the hell back to sleep" Sirius said.

"Okay" James said, as they were meant to be kind words.

He tossed and turned that night, wondering if his dream...had meant something...And Lily....he hated Lily for 6 years of his life...and now...what was happening in Hogwarts?...what was going on...After that 4:30am wakening, James couldn't get back to sleep. So, he staggered down the stairs, after a half-hour of tossing and turning. He placed his glasses on his head as he got to the staircase, and he nearly tumbled down them, because he was in for the surprise of a lifetime. Sitting in the armchair, by the fire, was Lily.

The same armchair, yet no fire alight yet on this Sunday morning. She was also reading the same book. James couldn't tell if this was good Lily...or bad Lily...

"Lil?" He said sheepishly.

"Hello James...I was expecting you..." Lily replied without looking back at him.

James gulped, this was definitely not the good Lily...she would've been scared out of her wits and started killing him... James smiled, and tried to act normal.

"Were you?" He said sitting down opposite her.

"Yes" She said, placing the book down.

"Why?" James asked casually.

"Because..." Lily responded.

Not this again. James thought, while trying to stare Lily down.

"Stop It!" James told her, regaining the place he made last night.

"Stop what?!" Lily exclaimed, appearing frustrated.

"This" James gestured towards her moving nearer him.

She eventually came and sat on the arm of his chair.

"Lily. Stop It!" he said clearly. on I don't hate you..." Lily said, wrapping her arms around his neck, and sliding down into his lap.

"Doesn't this feel right? Us together at last?" Lily asked James, within an inch from his face.

As much as James wanted it...not with this Lily...the other Lily...that would never have him...he couldn't let her do this...there was something drastically wrong with her....

"No" James told her firmly.

"Does this feel right?" Lily asked, taking James' hands and pulling him up off the chair, to a standing position. She then took his hands and put them around her tiny waist.

"No, Lily, none of it will feel right, none of it will feel right....until your back..." James said looking into her eyes.

She put her hands up around his neck.

"Lily..." James said as he gazed into her emerald eyes...still flashing evilly.

"Yes James?" Lily replied.

"Why are you doing this..?" James asked quietly.

"Because I don't hate you..." Lily replied sweetly...but hatefully.

She got up on tiptoe to kiss James, but he pulled away.

"Have it your way" Lily replied resting her head on his shoulder.

"I will" James replied, swaying softly on the spot...wishing this was the real Lily...not the wrong Lily...

"I'm scared right now, Lily" James told her, after a few minutes of cradling her in his arms, and swaying to the non-existing music.

"Why?" Lily raised her head from his shoulder, and smiled evilly, like she was glad.

"Your not the Lily I know...not the Lily I want..." James whispered.

"I'm sorry, James. I'll be the Lily you want if you let me be...wrong..." Lily whispered in his ear.

"What?" James asked, still holding her. While holding on to the evil Lily, he was wishing that the real one would come back soon.

"Like I said...I don't hate you..." Lily replied, taking James' hands in her.

"Stop Lily" He whispered helplessly in her ear.

"I'm sorry James" She whispered back looking into his eyes.

She rested her head on his shoulder again, and James, didn't realize it, until he felt the warmth on his face...that tears were flowing down his face...silent tears...because he truly was scared of this Lily...of her power to seduce him...to stand here like this...but really he hated her...he wanted the real Lily...

"James, don't cry" Lily said trying to calm him down.

"I'm not" James said wiping the tears away quickly.

"James, why do you fight me? Why don't you give in?" Lily asked James, now putting on his face, stopping the swaying movement.

"Because Lily, I have to fight you...I have to bring the real you back...I'll never give into evil" He whispered to her.

"But James...evil can be so much fun..." Lily replied, she seemed to be losing some of her spaz.

"I'm sorry, James. You'll give into evil...sooner or..." Lily whispered hoarsely while resting her head on his shoulder again.

James stood there, his hands on her tiny hips, her hands on his shoulder...and for once that night it felt right...

"Help me, James" Lily whispered.

"What?" James whispered back, surprised.

"I don't know what's gotten into me...one minute I'm me...and the next minute I'm not..." Lily said, uttering a sob.

"Lily, is it you?" James said to the sobbing figure in his arms.

"Yes, James. Don't let it come back...help me James" She said, sobbing uncontrollably now.

"Shhhhh. I want to help you. Shhh..." James comforted.

They began to sway to the non-existing music again.

There were many questions James wanted to ask, but decided to wait.

"Why do you keep saying...'I don't hate you'...Lil..." James asked her.

"Because, I don't. And I don't love you either. I've moved on from our childish differences. But the other me...when she says...I don't hate you...she means...she more then hates you...because I can feel so much hatred at times when I'm with you...and then...others...I'm like this...melting in your arms, like I promised I wouldn't..." Lily whimpered.

"Shhhhh, Lily..." James whispered, stroking her backbone, calming her down.

By this time dawn was showing its face, and James had calmed Lily down enough to sit down.

"You're the only one who knows that something is seriously wrong...James..." Lily whispered her head on his chest.

"We can make the others believe..." James said quietly.

"Not even Melodie...though she tried...I blocked her out...to get to you..." Lily told him.

James sat there, stroking the red hair of the woman he hated, yet the woman he...didn't hate....


	3. Cheyalla

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

**Chapter 4: The new friendship**

James and Lily explained everything that had happened, good Lily...bad Lily...everything... Remus and Sirius' mouths were hanging open by the time they were done explaining everything.  
Lily and James were sitting extremely close, Lily almost afraid to move from his side.

"Lily...you know...we hate each other...and...I'm doing this for you, because I can't stand the evil Lily...and we need some peace around here...." James said to Lily, removing his arm from around her.

"Yeah, I know. We're not...anything...because it wasn't me who seduced you into taking me into your arms...it was the other me...I...just happened to be good Lily again, when I was in your arms...." Lily agreed, sliding away from him on the sofa.

"Right." The two said with a final nod of the head.

"You don't have to hate each other!" Came a voice stifled with a sob from behind them.

All four spun around, shocked. There stood a very disgruntled looking Melodie; she had tear streaks running down her cheek.

"Mel!" Lily cried, hurrying to her side.

"Lil!" Melodie screamed, hugging her best friend.

"I was so worried. There was something wrong, but I couldn't like talk to you...you seemed to be repelling me...I just couldn't get through to you." Melodie sobbed into Lily's shoulder.

"I know. I blocked you out. I am so sorry. I'm evil, Mel...." Lily whimpered.

"I heard it all...I'm so sorry..." Melodie whispered.

When Lily and Melodie were over the shock of being able to talk again...The Marauders made their being known.

"Remus." Melodie muttered moving to his side.

To no one's surprise she embraced him, and he told her that he was there for him. He looked uncomfortable, but eventually wrapped his arms around her waist and comforted her. James, Sirius...and the good Lily...the right Lily, smiled things were okay for a little while...they'd live...they'd get through it....

On Monday, the friends, were just that...friends. All of them, Lily and James didn't go back to hating each other, they were friends... As the boys got ready in their dorm that morning, Sirius and Remus spoke their pre-planned speech to James...

"You were really stupid not to ask her out." Sirius began.

"She wants you...you can tell..." Remus cut in.

"The evil Lily wanted me, not her..." James replied stiffly.

"But James the way she didn't want to move from you...you just...had to notice it..." Sirius said.

"James, you like her, she likes you...tell her! For once...make the first move..." Remus told him, grinning slyly.

"Guys leave me alone. Remus! What about you and Mel? Make a move on her...oh, and Sirius...that Julia girl is going out with a Ravenclaw 7th year...but I know someone who'd be perfect for you..." James said, to just shut them up.

"No! We're here to make you go for Lily, not you here to make us go for girls!" Sirius exclaimed as they walked into the Common Room.

Remus, however, was silent. He caught James' eye...

"Make a move, eh?" He muttered before moving in on Melodie.

He spun her around to face him and put his hands on her hips, and kissed her. Nothing too extraordinary...just proving a point. When Remus pulled away, and walked out of the Portrait Hole, Melodie looked quite surprised, but pleased. The girls started giggling...James smiled. Monday and Tuesday passed uneventfully, and not until Wednesday, did something besides classes and homework, made its way into the clearing.

"James...I want you to come with me..." Lily whispered to him in their last class of the day, Transfiguration.

"Whoa. Good or bad Lily?" James questioned before pressing the conversation.

"Good Lily you idiot!" Lily exclaimed, the real...insulting-James-Lily...was back.

"Okay...where?" James asked, now flipping through his book.

"Dumbledore said...they were done with the rose...and I don't want to get it alone...the others will think I'm a chicken if I ask for their help..." Lily whined.

"Okay, okay, I'll come." James said, rolling his eyes.

"Thank you!" Lily squealed brightly.

James laughed and went back to his work. After supper that evening, and after homework, Lily and James left the Common Room, to the Portrait Hole. James threw on a pair of baggy jeans, and an ocean blue T-Shirt. Lily had on a pair of dark-rinse jeans, and a 3/4 length red top...that made James' heart skip a beat.

"I'm so sorry for everything I've done to you in the past week..." Lily said, breaking the awkward silence around them as they walked.

"Well...at least you didn't try to kill me...you just tried to make me kiss you...make me...not hate you..." James answered shrugging, grinning slyly at her apology.

There was another moment's silence, in which James considered taking everything he had said about having nothing between them.

"Come on, Lily." James muttered, grasping each of her hands, and dancing her down the corridor, towards Dumbledore's office.

He twirled her in his arms, every so often, and she laughed loudly...the way Lily the girl he was to not love...laughed... James danced her all the way to Dumbledore's office, where the gargoyle stood awaiting the password, but James ignored the awaiting gargoyle for one more moment, twirling her beneath his other arm, once more, and dipping her. A loud cough caused them to come back to reality.

"Professor...McGonagall" They said in usion.

"Um..." Their Professor eyed them wearily.

"Don't tell me Potter and Evans...the archenemies...are actually together..." She said, barely moving her stern lips.

"No, no we're not, Professor" Lily answered.

"Just having fun..." James added.

"Hmmm...Well, glad to see you're both feeling better..." McGonagall said to them.

"We were sick?" Lily asked.

"Well Lily, I'm surprised you doubted you were. Everyone knew you weren't yourself. And James...you just seemed...not your usual...mischief making self...." McGonagall informed them.

"Oh..." Lily murmured.

"I'll get right to the mischief making, ma'am." James assured her, smiling.

"I'm sure you will. Good day." She smiling and turning in the direction she was headed.

Once she was out of earshot they both burst out laughing.

"Archenemies...everyone knew we hated each other!" Lily exclaimed.

"I know!" James agreed laughing harder.

"Guess we should go get the bestowed of darkness...." Lily muttered, going serious.

"Yeah..." James agreed muttering the password.

"You knew the password?" Lily asked, astonished.

"Oh yeah, every time he changes it...he tells us three...Remus, Sirius, and I...cause we're there so much...we can just walk in and wait when we get in trouble..." James said casually.

"Are you serious?" Lily asked disbelievingly.

"No, I'm not Sirius...that's the other guy..." James started, but Lily glared her...tell-me-now...glare.

"Yes, yes I'm serious..." He said nodding his head.

"If you guys are in trouble so much why don't they just suspend you? Or expelled you?" Lily asked curiously.

"Because Dumbledore's a trustworthy kind of guy..." James said. Lily nodded.

"And we're like...his favorites..." he said as an after thought.

Lily laughed and shoved him hard before entering the office.

"Glad to see you came, James." Dumbledore abruptly said as soon as they entered the office.

"It wasn't my idea." James said shrugging, and taking the seat he always sat in when he was in trouble.

Lily seated herself as well.

"I guess...I should tell you...about your rose..." Dumbledore slowly said.

James and Lily exchanged glances, anxiously wondering whether or not to tell Dumbledore about...Evil Lily...

He seemed to sense their anxiousness, and came off subject for a moment.

"Is there anything you'd like to tell me, Miss Evans? Mr. Potter?" He asked.

"Ummm...." Lily began looking at James one last time.

"Yes, there is Professor" James added.

He seemed intrigued by what could've happened next... He rested his chin upon his hands, and stared intently at them while they told everything that happened since the arrival of the rose. Once they finished, he did not speak, but instead he seemed to be thinking...

"Well...evil has been possessing you, Lily..." He said quietly after awhile.

Lily looked quite nervous.

"It has happened so many times before. Most people...that evil has possessed...were under the influence of the Imperius curse...yet yourself, you clearly are not under the curse..." Dumbledore informed them.  
"So, something you own...something someone else owns...is planting the evil inside of you. For what reason, I do not know. I do know that whatever the evil is in...needs destroying..." Dumbledore explained.

"Professor...we thought it was the rose..." James inputted.

"Ahh yes, about the rose. It is a regular rose, and no hexes can be seen in it or upon it...but, remember...evil cannot be found in a precious thing, such as a flower. Evil is only known in things that are truly evil. Flowers...are not truly evil, but...that would be the perfect plan...yes. Take the rose...think about it, and if...you are certain...the evil is within the rose...we will destroy it..." Dumbledore said, lowering his voice.

"Yes Professor." Lily murmured.

James, however, was staring at the enclosed rose, in the glass case, that the Professors stored it in... The rose...seemed to be staring back at James, yelling at him, for knowing the truth...the truth about... the rose...

"Well, goodnight, then." Dumbledore said, magically opening the door behind them.

"Goodnight." Lily said.

"Night." James repeated.

Lily picked the fragile glass case up and they walked back to the Common Room.

"The evil is in the rose, Lil...." James muttered eventually.

"How do you know?" Lily questioned, not appearing angry, she didn't get angry often, since....the good Lily came back to stay...hopefully....

"Well...it just feels...not right..." James replied, staring at the rose through the, glass case...at the evil...not showing it self...but knowing that it was in there...

"Very convincing..." Lily said giggling.

They kept on walking in quite until they reached Gryffindor tower.

"Turkish Meatloafish." Lily told the fat lady.

"Sorry, dear, but that's not it." The fat lady told her.

"Let me try." James said stepping forward.

He cleared his throat.

"Turkish Meatloafish" James articulated clearly.

"Sorry dear, but I said it's not the password." The Fat Lady repeated.

James and Lily exchanged curious glances.

"Curious" Lily murmured.

They tried many passwords, all ending in ish...but none worked.

"Jes-" James started cursing

Lily looked confused. They waited for about 30 minutes before someone came from inside the portrait hole. Cheyalla came through, seeming surprised to see them there. Lily exceptionally...as she was carrying the rose...

"What're you guys waiting out here for?" Cheyalla questioned.

Cheyalla was also a Gryffindor 7th year; she has long dark brown hair, blue eyes, slightly tanned and slightly short for 17. James hardly heard Cheyalla talk, she was really quiet, totally opposite of Melodie, and completely like Lily, but they all were good friends. She flipped her long hair behind her ears, and repeated her question.

"Waiting for someone who knows the password..." James replied, frustrated.

"Cheya, do you know what they changed it too?" Lily questioned.

"Yeah! I don't know why they changed it again, they just did yesterday..." Cheyalla exclaimed, this was the loudest James had ever heard her talk.

"Okay. The password is...the pale pink rose." Cheyalla told them, before opening the Portrait Hole, wider to let them climb through.

"The pale pink rose?" Lily muttered mortified.

"No one would do that to you, Lil. If they knew that something was wrong with it. No one in Gryffindor anyways...." James whispered.

Lily looked frightened to some extent.

"Coming, Lil?" Cheyalla asked.

"Y-yeah..." Lily stuttered.

James watched her follow Cheyalla into the Common Room, and vanished all bad thoughts from his mind...he had a perfect idea... He ran up to Remus and Sirius, who were sitting in a corner, in the common room, sheets of unfinished homework was around them...apparently they had given up on it...to eat...

"Hey James." Sirius said popping, what appeared to be an Every Flavor Bean, in his mouth.

Remus and Sirius didn't care what flavor they got...They'd eat anything...

"Hey." James replied grabbing a Cauldron Cake from Remus.

"I thought you guys were going to cut back?" He asked repulsed as Remus grabbed the cake back, and shoved the whole thing into his mouth.

"Where were we when we said we'd cut back?" Sirius questioned, opening a Chocolate Frog.

"In the Great Hall" James answered.

"Doing...?" Remus asked.

"Eating" James said bluntly.

"Go figure." Sirius said shrugging.

"Shut up for a second and listen to me." James told them, looking over his shoulder, making sure Lily and the girls were still in the Common Room.

"Okay what?" Remus asked.

"Sirius! You know that girl you used to like...umm...Julia?" James questioned, hitting Remus as he opened his mouth, showing his chewed food.

"Yeah." Both Sirius and Remus said.

"Shut up and eat, Remus." James indicated.

"Okay." Remus said shrugging.

"Well, I found a better girl..." James told Sirius, indicating to Cheyalla.

Sirius dropped the Chocolate Frog, as his mouth dropped open.

"Where the hell has she been my whole life??" He questioned after regaining his voice.

"Here. She's just really quiet...but I think we can fix that..." James told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

The three guys stood up; Remus anxiously wiping his face off as Melodie came into view.

"Hey" Remus said, sinking into the chair, whose arm she was sitting on.

"Hello" Melodie replied.

Sirius indulged himself in conversation with Cheyalla, causing her to laugh several times.

"Your idea?" Lily asked, sipping a drink.

"Better believe it." James replied smiling at her.

She just smiled back.

"Come here" James heard Remus say, before turning around and seeing him pulling Melodie into his lap.

He whispered something in her ear, causing her to giggle, and blush slightly.

"Ah Remus, are you using that lame line again?" James questioned.

"Shut up James." Remus replied sternly.

"That'll be the day." Lily insinuated.

"I'm not bothered by that. I'm just glad your back." James told her, coolly.

Lily smiled seeming too unconcerned to reply.

James smiled back...scared if he said the wrong thing...Unwanted Lily would return... Sirius and Cheyalla seemed to have gotten to know one another. Remus was still holding Melodie in his lap, and Melodie appeared to not be bothered by this...

"We have got to get those two together." Lily muttered.

"Maybe they already are." James replied, winking.

James looked over to the armchair to see Remus nibbling on Melodies neck.....

"Okay..." Lily said.

Melodie ran her fingers through his hair, seeming quite pleased he had made the move... She then tilted his head up and kissed him slightly on the lips. He leaned in for more, but Melodie pulled away. Remus smiled sweetly. Melodie kissed him again, pulling away when he wanted more. Remus caught on that this was a game, and sat, appearing mad at her. She then indulged him in another lightly kiss, then she kissed him on the cheek...then the other one...then the chin...then before she could tease him anymore...he grabbed her chin and indulged in a more intimate kiss. James and Lily sat watching their friends for a moment...before James became revolted and turned away...


	4. True Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter 3: True Love

Friday came, and so did many crazy pranks were the almost the whole Slytherin table was sent to Madam Pomfrey, which left the Marauders snickering so loud that Mrs. McGonagall was forced to give them a detention. Later on, James, not wanting to go to the Common Room...the haunting thoughts of what happened the week before still floating into his mind...went outside with the Invisibility cloak on. When he was within good distance of the castle, and on the bank of the Lake, he threw of the Cloak, and sat down on it. He put his hands behind his back, and stretched his legs out.  
He stared up at the stars...wondering if the anything actually lasted...wondering whether or not...the souls of the ones gone lived upon the stars... He picked up a few pebbles and tossed them in the lake.

The ripples, caused by the pebbles, lasted momentarily...and James must've been staring hard at the lines spreading out slowly in the motionless Lake, because he never heard her come up behind him...the right...her....

"James." Lily's soft voice came from behind him.

"Lily!" James jumped; startled at the fact she appeared there again.

"Can I sit?" She asked, kneeling down.

"Sure." James said, scooting over on the Cloak, giving her room.

She sat down and pulled the sleeves of her red sweater down over her hands.

"It's chilly out tonight." She commented.

"Yeah." James agreed.

"Thank you, James" Lily whispered into the night.

"What for?" James asked puzzled, looking into her eyes for a split second...no evil...

"Saving me, last week." She replied looking up at the stars.

"Lily, it was nothing...I was glad to..." He replied.

Lily couldn't seem to reply to this, she just smiled, the pale moonlight washing over her face.

"What're you doing out here?" Lily questioned.

"Ummm, thinking." James replied, not wanting to tell her, he was scared of being in the same room as her.

"About what?" Lily persisted.

James laughed slightly. "Everything." He replied.

"It's a good place to think" Lily said.

"Yeah...peaceful." James murmured.

Lily resumed her position looking back up at the stars. James watched her intently. Her red hair flowing over her shoulders...her green eyes alight with the sky...looking so comfortable, and at peace...

"What James?" She asked, seeming to sense his gaze.

"You're beautiful, is all" He whispered softly.

Even though James couldn't tell, Lily blushed.

"Thank you...you're pretty handsome yourself..." She whispered back.

"Haha. I've heard that so much-" James began.

"Someone's conceited..." Lily teased.

"Lemme finish, Lemme finish" James laughed. "I've heard that a lot, but it's never actually meant something to me...like you saying it does..." He said sweetly.

Lily smiled, hiding beneath her hair. 

"You're so...so...perfect...Lil..." James stammered.

"No one's perfect James..." Lily said. 

"Well you sure come close..." James whispered, brushing her hair away from her face.

She smiled up at him...this would've been the perfect moment...if they had been...together...

"How come we can't have this, James?" Lily all of a sudden questioned, becoming serious.

"I don't know." James replied, not realizing what had happened. 

"We can have it James...I don't hate you...we can have it...if you let me be wrong..." Lily whispered.

James' insides went cold; he could feel himself losing color.

"I don't want anything with you..." James replied, angry that this demon had returned.

"Why not, James?" Lily questioned, appearing angry herself.

James looked into her eyes; the evil was there full force...her eyes were growing redder by the minute... "Because...I won't let you be wrong" He replied dryly.

Lily stood up and let out a frustrated scream. "Damn you!! You can't do this!! I'll have you James...dead or alive!!" She bellowed at the top of her lungs.

"Stop it! You can't do this. Your not real...your not really here...GO AWAY" James yelled, about as loud as Lily.

"MAKE ME GO AWAY! I DON'T HATE YOU JAMES! BUT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU..." Lily screamed.

"YOU MORE THEN HATE ME. YOU LOATH ME. YOU DESPISE ME!! I HATE YOU! I WANT The real Lily back...." James screeched, calming down slowly.

"She's gone James" Lily sneered.

"And never going to come back...and if I have it my way...NEITHER WILL YOU..." Lily screamed at him. 

James was infested with rage. He was sick of this evil...of this madness.

While he was standing there, staring at the evil creature that had taken away a beautiful person, Lily attacked. She grabbed the back of James' shirt and pulled it, so it was choking him. She then kicked him hard in the shins, making his knees buckle slightly, and she threw him into the lake...with all the strength she could muster.... She stood there, breathing heavily, staring at James plunging into the icy depths.

She was pleased with her work. James was in shock over what had just happened. When he plunged into the lake, he never moved fast enough to avoid that rock....pity too....Lily gasped, and crumpled down onto the ground, as she noticed James hadn't gotten out of the water. How could she let evil do this? How could she have done this to him? All he did was help her. He wanted so much for her. And now she was afraid she had ruined it all... Lily tore into the lake where James' body was drifting, just under the surface.

Her pants and sweater started to slow her down as she treaded the water into the lake, but she didn't care; she had to save him. She took a full breath of air and swam under water to bring James back to her. She hoisted him above water, pulled him to shore, slowly, but surely... Lily was sobbing by the time she had unbuttoned James' shirt, to check his pulse, and perform CPR if necessary. Her chest was heaving with emotion; she had never been so scared in her whole entire life. She felt around for a pulse, and eventually found a slow one. It was beating forcefully, though. And, realizing he was alive, just knocked out, she began to give him deep breath, to restore his breathing. With every breath she gave, she seemed to be draining, but she didn't care...she had to save him. All of a sudden, when Lily was moving James' soaking wet hair out of his face, he spluttered and started breathing on his own, but still didn't open his eyes. Lily, collapsed again, on the dew stricken grass. Her chest heaving as she sobbed...looking at James. She pulled him into her arms, she rocked back and forth on her knees, rubbing his skin, thankful he was here. 

"James...oh no...James...I can't believe it...I'm so sorry...oh my god...no, no, NO!" She moaned cradling him.

She got up enough strength to conjure a stretcher for James, and take him up to the castle.  
Wheezing heavily, and her feet sliding on the wet grass, she reluctantly made it to the castle doors. She pulled them open; they felt a hundred times heavier, then she started climbing the Marble Staircase. The effort seemed to be unbearable for her, and she was afraid she'd have a nervous break down.

_Do it for James. For his life. _She told herself. When she had finally reached the top of the staircase, her legs feeling like lead, Dumbledore whisked around the corner. She groaned, and dropped to her knees right where she was. Dumbledore looked extremely startled, yet took immediate action. He didn't speak to Lily; he picked her up, and forced her to walk, as heavy as her legs felt, to the hospital wing, him now bringing James. She was panting, but glad when the warm hospital wing came into view. Her vision was blurred, and she collapsed onto a bed, before anyone could stop her.

"Miss Evans, I know the last thing you want to do is explain...but...It must be the first thing you do..." Dumbledore's voice came through the darkness a few minutes later.

Lily groaned and opened her eyes.

"How's James?" Lily asked first. 

"He has a concussion his head must've hit something. His heart is also being temperamental...." Dumbledore replied softly.

"What do you mean...his heart...?" Lily asked for explanation.

"It's experienced something very dramatic...It's just...working slowly..." Dumbledore tried to explain.

"Oh..." Lily muttered.

"Now, I must ask, Miss Evans...." Dumbledore persisted her. 

"Oh...well...James was..." Lily then went into full explanation of what happened from the moment she arrived outside, until the moment Dumbledore arrived in the Corridor.

"I see...Lily...you're dangerous..." Dumbledore said to her.

"I know!" Lily gasped, tears starting to come.

"Shhh. Most teachers would want you locked up...but I think...you'll be fine...if we can just find out...where the evil is coming from" Dumbledore stressed.

"The rose!" Lily squealed. 

"Positive?" Dumbledore asked, peering over his half moon spectacles.

"Positive" Lily sobbed.

"Summon it" Dumbledore indicated.

Lily hadn't understood at first, but then she knew he meant to get the rose.

"Accio Rose" She muttered, concentrating hard on the fragile rose in the glass case...

A few minutes later, it came flying into her hands. She was repulsed by this, and handed it to Dumbledore. He took it out, and seemed to be trying to destroy it.

"Oh my..." Dumbledore muttered, looking shocked.

"What?!" Lily explained, her emotions getting the best of her.

"This...This rose..." Dumbledore said indicating to it. "It's un-destroyable...as hard to believe it is..." He continued. 

"N-no...it's just a rose!! It's just a rose!" Lily sobbed.

"Shh. I'll get Professors McGonagall and Flitwick to...to try and hex it...to destroy. You go climb in bed. Poppy wants you both to stay here..." Dumbledore spoke softly, not looking up from the rose the whole time.

Lily nodded her head, and climbed into the warm bed. It was a quarter past nine, on a Friday night. The others wouldn't be worried; they'd think they finally had gotten together. Lily felt drained, like the evil had left...but had it?? Madame Pompfrey came in and felt Lily's forehead. 

"Well, try to get a good sleep" She whispered, before leaving and locking the door.

Lily turned over to face James' bed, he seemed to be stirring. Lily uttered a dry sob; she wasn't ready to face him. He'd probably hate her for nearly killing him.

"When you do it, you do it good" James muttered, seeing Lily was awake, and rubbing his head slightly.

"I'm so sorry. I can't believe...the evil...I'm so sorry...I won't blame you, if you hate me." Lily whispered.

"I could never hate you, Lily..." James whispered.

"Now you're lying" Lily replied smiling in an amused sort of way.

"Why am I lying?" James asked, appearing frustrated.

"We hated each other for six years, James..." Lily reminded.

"Oh yeah, but I mean I could never hate you now. Duh." James said. 

"Duh." Lily replied in his goofy tone.

Lily got out of the warmth of her bed, and went and sat on the corner of James' bed.

"Dumbledore couldn't destroy the rose." She whispered.

"No..." James groaned.

"I know." Lily agreed.

"Give me the damn thing." James commanded.

"Can't, Dumbledore took it." Lily replied miserably.

"I'm so sorry." Lily repeated, after James went quiet.

"I hate Lily." James growled.

"Thanks." Lily said sarcastically.

"Not you. Evil Lily, she's so scary!! And then she like pushes me into the lake...man...mood swings or what..." James told her.

Lily laughed.

"I'm tired; I'll probably drift off soon." James whispered.

"Its okay." Lily replied, running her fingers through his hair.

"Lil..." James began. 

"Shhh. Go to sleep..." Lily whispered.

James smiled at her, his eyes heavy.

"You're perfect..." He muttered before falling asleep.

"No you are." Lily whispered to the sleeping figure.

She stopped running her fingers through his hair, and took his hand in hers. She wanted to cry, to spill everything out, but she didn't she was strong. She held his hand, and when he woke up in the night, because of pain, she soothed him...it felt so right...but was it so wrong? Thanks to the evilness in Lily?

These thoughts soon left Lily's mind, she slept where she was, still holding his hand; she was never going to let go.

"Morning sleepy head." James muttered as Lily woke up.

"Morning." Lily said, stretching her stiffness away, caused by the way she slept.

"Sleep well?" James asked. "I was with you, so of course" Lily replied, taking herself by surprise. 

"Oh, why thank you sugar." James said.

Lily smiled. What just happened here?

"I'm such a wimp." James murmured feeling the lump on his head.

"Yes, yes you are. Can't even stand up to a woman." Lily teased.

"Haha. You don't know how scary you get...man...beautiful...but scary..." James replied.

"You know I'm just teasing? We're just friends. I don't love you" Lily said, becoming serious.

"I'm just playing, too" James nodded.

"Okay." Lily said, letting go of his hand.

"Okay." James said. 

"Ah shit." Sirius' voice came from the doorway. 

Lily and James looked towards the doorway, Sirius was caught.

"Good morning." Lily said uncertainly. 

"Madame Pompfrey must've heard me..." Sirius whispered trying to go either way.

Lily looked into the hall, to see Melodie, Cheyalla, and Remus waiting.

"You clumsy git." Remus said, pushing Sirius the rest of the way through the door, and then pushing it open for the rest of them.

"You pushed my man into the lake!" Remus exclaimed, coming into the room, and hugging Lily.

"I know." Lily replied, squeezing Remus, then the rest of them.

"You're smooth, James." Remus replied giving him a pat on the back.

"Ah shut up." James replied.

"So! You let her get you again." Sirius said, sitting down.

"We were so worried!" Melodie said sitting down next to Lily.

"Yes! We were!!" Cheyalla exclaimed, sitting down too.

"I'm sorry guys! Evil Lily paid another visit..." Lily told them. 

They both hugged her.

"So who told you?" James asked.

"Dumbledore." They chorused.

"Go figure." James said.

They discussed reasons why the rose may not be able to be destroyed, all morning, until Madame Pompfrey came in, and kicked them all out, including Lily. She just told her to take it easy, but James had to stay in for the rest of the afternoon.

"See ya." James said cheerfully as everyone left.

Dumbledore came to see Lily and the others about the rose that afternoon. He had the rose.

"Professor..." Lily began, worried when she saw it...still perfect.

"Lily, m'dear...we can't destroy this. Nothing works. It appears...according to Professor Flitwick...that only...your true love can destroy the rose...it's tricky that way..." Dumbledore stuttered.

Lily was angry. "Ugh!!" She let out a frustrated cry.

"I'll keep it in my office..." Dumbledore started.

"No, James wanted to see it." Lily exclaimed.

"Very well. Return it to me when he is done..." Dumbledore said, leaving.

Melodie was in awe over the beauty of the rose, but Lily kept reminding her that it was evil. That afternoon, at about 3:30pm, James returned... 

"Why the hell is that back here?!" He exclaimed first thing.

His head was fine, even the bump was gone...Madame Pompfrey was good.

"They can't destroy it!!" Lily wept.

"Shit." James muttered. He picked the rose up, turned it around and around in his hands...then he squeezed the stem in his fist, he was apparently frustrated... 

"James!" Lily gasped.

"What?" James snapped.

"The stem...you..." Lily stuttered. 

James looked down at his hands...the stem had crumbled, he then squeezed the perfect petals of the rose...they too, crumbled into dust.

"James." Lily said weakly.

"I did it!! Why? How?!" James exclaimed.

Everyone besides James, knew why he did it...but didn't understand..  
"D-Dumbledore said...that only...Lily's true love could destroy it..." Melodie stuttered.

Everyone else was speechless. James' mouth dropped open.

"You're joking." He whispered.

Lily shook her head, she was in tears, and she ran off to the girl's dorm.

"You're...Lily's....." Remus began.

"Oh my gosh! Lily when you've been saying....'James I don't love you'...you really have been lying to yourself!! He's your true love!!" Melodie exclaimed.

"Why are you upset?" Cheyalla questioned, calmly.

"Because...I...I can't love him...I almost killed him..." Lily sobbed.

"But the evil is gone...James..." Melodie started.

"Destroyed it..." Cheyalla finished.

"I know" Lily continued to sob.

The girls sat there comforting her, while James sat dumbfounded, in the Common Room.

"She's hot" Sirius finalized.

"Uh huh" Remus agreed.

"But...I don't think she loves me..." James said shaking his head and standing up.

"Where're you going?" They asked.

"Bed." James replied climbing the stairs.

Remus and Sirius looked undisturbed by this, and unlike the girls, let him be.

"Shhh." Melodie and Cheyalla said soothingly.

"Do you guys love Remus and Sirius?" Lily questioned, calming down some. 

"Where'd that come from?" Cheyalla asked.

"Just answer it" Lily snapped.

"I think I love Remus..." Melodie whispered, blushing.

"I don't love, Sirius. He just asked me to be his girlfriend today...I don't love him...not yet..." Cheyalla responded.

"He asked you?!" Lily and Melodie screamed in usion.

"Yeah" Cheyalla nodded.

"Oh my god! Go for it!" Melodie said. 

"Hehe. Remus didn't even have to ask...your tongue did all the talking" Lily teased Melodie.

The girls talked about...everything...within the few hours, and by the time they began repeating themselves, it was supper. The girls went down, but Lily insisted she was too tired to eat, incidentally...so did James. 

"Okay, see ya. We'll sneak down to the kitchens if ya get hungry." Remus said, shutting the door.

James laid on his back, feeling somehow glad, that he had destroyed the rose, because he finally proved that Lily loved him. He thought about everything, and then he decided what he had to do.

He threw the Invisibility Cloak over himself, and walked down the stairs, heading to the Girls Dorm. He was going to write a note to Lily, to explain everything he was thinking, and feeling, he wore the Invisibility Cloak incase anyone was in the Common Room, or the dorm, and would see him. He quickly pulled open the dorm door, and headed in. He gasped silently, when he saw Lily sitting on her bed, flipping through a book. She had seen the door shut.

"Who's there?" She demanded, not moving.

"Me." James whispered.

"Oh...James I-.." began Lily, but she stopped, as he took the cloak off himself. She then realized how incredibly handsome he was. And...for some reason or another, she seemed to be seeing him in a whole new light.

"So...You're my true love" Lily asked, as James sat down on Melodies bed. 

"Oh yeah" James replied, seeming proud of himself. 

"Come sit here" James said, patting a spot next to him.

Lily obeyed, she didn't mind. She sat down. He was lying down. He looked into her eyes.

"There's some things we need to discuss" James told her.

"I know." Lily whispered.

"I don't want you to love me, just because I destroyed the rose. If you do love me, I want it to be, because you do love me..." James said.

"Okay." Lily said smiling.

"Our friends are together. I don't want us to get together...just because they're together, and think we should..." James said,

"Okay." Lily said smiling, her face full of mischief. Then James kissed Lily slightly.

"What was that?!" Lily repeated.

"Um...a kiss..." James said, unsure of what she meant.

"Well, it wasn't very good, was it?" Lily taunted.

"What?" James asked.

"I thought you of all people would know how to kiss someone...'specially someone you think you love.' My, my, we'll just have to see-" Lily rambled, but was cut off when James got the point.

He clasped his mouth over hers, and indulged her in a passionate kiss. He pushed her hair away from her face, with both his hands, not pulling away from the kiss. Lily found herself being pulled down onto the bed by James, now that they were both lying down, side by side, they pulled away.

"That's more like it." Lily said quietly, smiling.

"Better believe it." James said, breathing heavily.

"James they're going to be coming back from supper, we should go to the Common Room." Lily suggested.

James' answer was no, or so she suspected. He kissed her slowly, making her want more of him, but not giving into her attempts. James pulled away for a split second, only long enough to pull himself on top of her. James thought she'd object, but she seemed ready. He didn't rush the kiss; he still, slowly kissed her lips.

"James..." Lily questioned, as he pulled away, and began to unbutton the blouse she had on, but she soon found her mouth was back on his. He unbuttoned it, bottom up, but stopped halfway to see the expression on Lily's face, she was smiling warmly.

"And you think your doing..." Lily teased.

James smiled naughtily, kissing her navel, and then looking to see her reaction, as he moved up her stomach. She stopped him when he was about to unbutton the next one.

"Why not you..." She whispered, tugging at his shirt. James looked very surprised at her behavior, but he gave in. He tugged his T-Shirt off over his head, and threw it onto the floor. Underneath his shirt, Lily was pleased to see a very much built body. His stomach was muscular, and firm, his chest was masculine.

"You certainly take care of yourself..." Lily whispered rubbing her hand down his chest.

"Uh huh..." James murmured planting a kiss on her neck.

Lily patiently waited for him to kiss her again on the mouth, she didn't technically want to go all the way, even if she was 17, she just told this guy she might have loved him...and she think James sensed she didn't want to go...all the way. Lily kissed James on the corner of the mouth, as he re-buttoned her shirt.

"James..." She whispered. 

"You don't want to go all the way and...for once...neither do I..." James whispered kissing her again. 

Lily smiled. "James not wanting to go all the way...hmm...something wrong?" She asked.

"No. I just love you too much, to ruin it by...going...all the way..." He said kissing her neck.

"Thank you, James. I...I do love you..." Lily whispered.

"Oh god...last thing I needed to see.." Said a voice from the door. Lily gasped, seeing Melodie and Cheyalla standing there.

"On my freaking bed, too!" Melodie exclaimed, seeming repulsed.

"Haha. James I told you, they'd be coming back!" Lily shouted fixing her hair, and straightening her blouse.  
James however, didn't seem bothered.

"Nice abs." Melodie said, stepping in the room, as James picked up his shirt.

"Thanks." James replied, grinning and throwing his shirt on.

Cheyalla seemed to be in awe.

"You're lucky to see that..." Cheyalla indicated to James.

"Lemme tell you, Sirius got some too..." Lily teased straightening the sheets on Melodies bed.

"You've seen?!" Cheyalla declared.

"By accident" Melodie shrugged.

"JUST his shirt off" Lily reassured.

"Oh you'll see soon enough." Melodie said.

"Fast paced, those guys are" Lily said.

"Oh well" Cheyalla said, grinning. 

"Naughty!" Melodie declared.

"So! You and James together?!" Cheyalla exclaimed.

"I guess!" Lily squealed excitedly.

"Hehe." Melodie taunted.

Cheyalla all of a sudden looked worried. 

"You didn't go all the way, did you?" She asked timidly.

"No!! No. I think we would've...but James said he loved me too much to ruin it, by...going all the way." Lily said importantly.

"Awwww." Melodie and Cheyalla chorused.

"Can't believe you and Lily..." Remus said, shocked.

"We didn't do anything!" James shouted for the tenth time.

"No of course not..." Sirius muttered.

"Okay, we DID something, but we didn't go all the way..." James replied, trying to fix his tasseled hair.

"Man, you guys are thick." James replied, smelling his shirt, which smelled like strawberries, which made him think of Lily...he smiled a this.

Lily, Melodie, and Cheyalla walked down the stairs at that moment.

James ran over to Lily like a lost dog.

"I missed you" He said.

"You idiot." She said as he put his hands on her sides, and rubbed them up and down. She walked over to the couch, James holding to her all along.

"You guys repulse me." Remus said pulling Melodie onto his lap.

"Why do you always insist on doing that?" Melodie said as she stood up.

"Ummm, you like it?" Remus answered questioningly.

"Maybe I don't..." Melodie said storming off.

"Well that went good" Remus said, standing up and taking off after her. 

"What's up?" He questioned as he burst into the Girls Dorm.

"I don't know. Things just aren't right" Melodie said quietly.

"I know...it's the seventh year thing, isn't it? I'm scared, too. But I'm still going to love you. Because I'm going to marry you." Remus muttered and going to sit next to her.

"Are you now?" Melodie whispered, smiling.

"Yes." Remus answered. He then went serious.

"I love you." He said.

"What? Really?" Melodie sputtered.

"Of course, really." Remus muttered, as she stood up and went over to her wardrobe mirror.

"Are you sure you're ready to say that?" She whispered, brushing her hair.

"Yes..." Remus whispered, rubbing his hands down her body. She spun around to face him, and pushed him back slightly, but kissed him all the same.

"Remus..." Melodie said as he pushed her gently onto the bed.

"Melodie..." He whispered. 

He kissed her neck, and before Melodie knew what he was doing, her sweater had come off. She had a thin T-Shirt on underneath it.

"Remus!" She squealed as his hand worked its way up her shirt.

"Your hands are cold..." She whispered as he kissed her stomach.

"Sorry" He said bringing them out of her shirt, and kissing her more.

"Okay, you proved your point...I love you too." She whispered, as he put a triumphant face on, and started to tug his sweater off.

"Just hold me" Melodie said.

"Sure thing" Remus whispered, tugging her into his arms, and laying still.

"They've been up there awhile." Cheyalla said uncertainly, looking towards the stairs.

Sirius then shut her up by planting a kiss on her.

"Okay, I'll stop worrying." She giggled as he kissed her neck.

"Puppy love." Lily laughed.

"What about it?" James asked kissing her.

"Nothing." Lily whispered, her eyes growing heavy. The warmth of James' body always did that to her. He hugged her as they sat staring at nothing. James all of a sudden let go of Lily, and was pulling Sirius from Cheyalla, he had begun to loosen the long tie up sweater she had on. 

"Mess off, man" Sirius said struggling.

"Haha. Too bad, I have work to do anyways." Cheyalla said jumping out of the way and pulling her Divination charts out.

"I'm going to kill you, James. Not now, not tomorrow, but I'm going to." Sirius growled jokingly.

"Haha!" Lily laughed seeing fright come over James' face.

"Wimp!" She teased.


End file.
